Not a cinematic masterpiece, but it's still damn scary and so well made it actually looks like a home made video.

Given the budget of the movie and the overall media hype (albeit a semi satisfying one), I adored this film to itty bitty bite size pieces. I felt like it was a classic ghost story in my opinion. I'm so appalled and under-stimulated by urban "horror" movies nowadays. It's all about gorn (not that I don't mind it) and CGI slasher rip offs. THIS, however, is the polar opposite. I've always thought that the scariest monsters are the ones that you never see. Paranormal Activity proves just that (if you scratch out spielburgs ending -_-). I'm not gonna lie, I was tense in the theatre (saw it on Halloween night ) and that doesn't happen very often for me. I would totally recommend this to anyone who appreciates serious thrillers.

This movie did not even scare me. Fishing line can explain the plant movement. This movie did nothing until maybe the last 30 minutes of the film. I recommend "Paranormal Entitiy" now that was creepy.

This movie did not even scare me. Fishing line can explain the plant movement. This movie did nothing until maybe the last 30 minutes of the film. I recommend "Paranormal Entitiy" now that was creepy.

i agree with you about the seven out of ten part. it was a good movie, not as scary as all the hype made it out to be but a good movie none the less. i liked the character development, an element that is missing in alot of horror movies today. it's good to care about the characters you are seeing on screen and not wanting them to die in the first five minutes. i thought it had a good script with some funny lines mixed in. i especially liked the lead actress, she made her in pending doom very believable. for the budget the effects where spot on. you could feel there despair building. and good horror movies don't have happy endings!! i agree this is a little indie gem. i guess alot of people can't set thru a movie like this because they think it is boring and want the horror to be coming at them all the time. it is suspenseful, moody and down right creepy at times. although it didn't make me jump i respect the fact that it is something fresh, and not a damn remake of a movie that didn't need to be remade in the first place. hats off to all involved!!

I must have been the only one who hated this movie.

******* Spoilers basically from here on out ********

So once in a while a movie comes along that piques my interest. Blair Witch was one, this was one, mirrors was one. The ones that seem to offer something a little different to a genre that at times becomes stagnant. This looked like it definitely could throw some new stuff into the mix so I gave it a watch.

Here's why I hated it:
The characters were neither believable nor likeable. Continuously Micah would do stupid shit that Katie would repeatedly ask him not to, which would subsequently enrage the demon and make things worse. Katie never once properly reprimanded him for this. It was ridiculous. "Don't get a ouija board Micha!' 'durrr i got one anyway' 'oh well, all is forgiven' It was just blatantly stupid. I realise this was probably just a vessel to advance an otherwise dull plot, but it was painfully transparent and really detracted from the spooky bits. By the end of it, I wanted them to die.

Secondly, why bother with the ghost specialist? Why bring up the demon specialist only to not have him appear in the film. Why have the ghost guy come back only to leave again immediately? Backstory I suppose, but again ineffective and served only to detract from the story.

I'm sure people will disagree, but I thought this was overall a festering pile of trash with a few redeeming moments.

One of the scariest movies i've ever seen.This movie had a certain realism to it.I'm actually a paranormal investigator,but that movie scared the crap out of me.--it was Awsome!

Just watched it yesterday...and it's by far the best horror movies from Today. THe movie seems so real..i thought at first that it was a documentary I didn,t know it was a gimmick like Blair witch project. So I beleive in the story cause I believe in ghost and possessed things and stuff. Everything seems so real and sound and noises made the chills it was really powerful.

i give this movie 10/10

good creepy atmosphere, nice characters. thats all.
just 1 scene was really scary, and its obviously the one wee see people screaming at in the trailer.

------
*spoliers*
some serious stupid moments like micah tellig her stuff like "i will protect you", from what? a fucking demon? come on. or again micah provoking that thing.

the foot scene was genuinely scary i have to admit it. but it was the only true scare in the whole movie.
------

i know its hard to deliver even a single true scare today to people who saw tons of horror movies, and at least this 1 was delivered.

in the end, worth a watch if you are in supernatural and slow flicks. if u like hostel/saw-like flicks you may find it very boring.

Included some nice, genuine scares.

A very pure poltergeist/haunting flick, not a fan of these shaky cam movies usually, but this worked out pretty well. The main character guy gets damn moronic and annoying at points, but i think that's part of the plan. This may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but it works best as just a "scary movie".

Don't buy the hype, just see it.

6/10.

I had very high expectations (something I usually try to avoid because you end up disappointed 90% of the time) for this movie and I wasn't disappointed at all! It's awesome! I've seen over 1000 horror movies and Paranormal Activity is definitely one of the best I've seen (top 50)! It's not one of the best I've seen only because it's one of the scariest, it's also one of the most realistic and it's the movie I've always dreamed of! I've always wanted someone to make a realistic movie like The Blair Witch Project about a family or a couple filming in their house to catch ghosts and this movie has everything that I wanted! It's very suspenseful and it has some truly effective scenes! A lot of people say that it's boring and I really don't get it! It's WAY too suspenseful to be boring! I've been trying to understand why the people that thought that it was boring went to see it since it was released! Why does someone who get bored easily go see a movie about a couple filming in their house? While we're at it, why does someone expect to be scared in a theater full of people? The fact that there are idiotc teens that can't stop talking and laughing 90% of the time doesn't help. Personally, I can't imagine finding a movie scary with 30 persons around me. I thought the movie was scary (compared to most movies), but I watched it alone in the dark with an headset. The fact that I believe (or want to) in ghosts helped as well. Actually, I can't imagine someone who doesn't believe in ghosts finding a ghost movie scary. What makes ghost movies scary is the fact that maybe ghosts exist. Anyway, the first few minutes of the movie is the only time I didn't feel uneasy! The atmosphere was simply creepy! Hell, even a few parts with nothing but the couple talking were creepy! I guess it was the expectation that something really bad was going to happen. Anyway, when the movie was about to end I felt bad because I really didn't want it to end and any movie that makes me feel this way deserves 5 stars. I Can't wait for the DVD.

PS: All of the people who call the people who like this movie sheeps are immature idiots. Just because you think a movie is bad doesn't mean that those who think it's good are sheeps or wrong or whatever stupid *beep* bigots love to come up with.

maybe not a good movie for the impatient and small attention spanned but this movie was original, well acted , and kept you on your toes as soon as you saw the night vision go on. definitively a movie that will be at its best the first time you watch it. but if one more person comes up to me and asks me it that was real... i will have no hope for the human race

I really did not care for this film at all. I am a huge fan of paranormal films but I just couldn't get into Paranormal Activity. I liked the characters of Katie and Micah and their relationship throughout the film. I liked the atmosphere that was created.

SPOILERS AHEAD

But once it went the demon route, I just lost interest. I mean, the foot prints in the baby powder looked like they came from a giant gecko. At first, I thought they were hand prints which would have been creepy. The creepiest part in the Exorcist to me is when she spider walks down the stairs backwards so a ghost/demon that walks around on its hands would've freaked me out. But not a giant gecko. The ending I saw was the one where she chucks him at the camera, sniffs him, smiles into the camera, her face gets all evil, and then "she was never seen again". My coworker got the shot by the cops ending. I don't like either one. Personally, once it went the demon route, I would've liked to have seen an Exorcism or a gruesome suicide.

In conclusion, while I have seen worse movies, (I totally agree that I wanted the Blair Witch to kill off the cast of that movie, at least I connected with Katie and Micah) I really didn't care for this. I spent the last 45 minutes wishing I had gone to see Zombieland instead.

Ok first off if youre going to see a horror movie, go see Pandorum!
That movie was far more entertaining than this waste.

I seriously felt like I had wasted a portion of my life by watching Paranormal Activity. Sure I will tip my hat to the film makers for trying something I could only describe as loosely original. They achieved some scares with simple tricks and didnt need a high budget to pull off a creepy and atmospheric movie. However the ending left me with some serious blue balls.

**Spoiler Warning**

Now I didnt see it in theaters so I dont know if the ending in the theater version is different. In the version I saw Katie pretty much obviously gets possessed and then wakes up in the middle of the night and stares at Micah and then goes downstairs and screams, bringing Micah downstairs then she comes back up stairs covered in blood. Then the cops show up... roll credits...

Seriously?

Anyone who thinks this movie was good needs their head examined.
I will give the crew a gold star for effort but thats it.

Bottom line:
Waste of time.

Ok after just seeing and still fresh in my head, I have little to say but wow. I agree with the review. Overall drawn out and yes the best parts of the film were at the last 30 minutes. Predictable ending, the being the positive person that I am, I hoped that it wouldn't end the way it did. Acting was pretty good. The overall effect of the film was well delivered. They were looking for that scare factor and they did. Just a long time before it built u up completely. Editing was a little choppy but it was a film that was posted on the internet and in a town that wanted to see it go nationwide. Good for u guys. Your first hit.

Thanks for all the reviews, especially MattSlash. I will definitely check this out this weekend. I really don't know much about it so I'll keep it like that.

saw the commercial for this with the audience members jumping and thought finally a scary film that will actually scare me. i guess not! it's a good film, not a great one. good film to take your girlfriend to if you want her in your arms. atleast it wasn't a remake of a film that didn't need to be remade in the first place! worth a look especially with a good audience and a couple of hours to waste. 6 and a half out of ten.

I had no problems sleeping alone downstairs after watching this flick. Sure it has a couple creepy bits towards the end, but for the most part it falls pretty flat. It's definitely way over hyped, in my opinion.

Came back to read more reviews and wow I had no trouble sleeping and even slept with my door wide open in my apartment by myself just to see if the movie would get to me. Nothing. I slept like a baby So as I said probably want to see this with a friend if you're a puss that can't take some minor scares otherwise just set your wrist watch alarm to go off or you'll pass out coz the beginning is a SNORE

I havent slept at all tonight...i have been sitting in my living room with all the lights on holding a bible and i pic of my mom rocking back and forth =p

Okay, so i have been waiting for a little over a month to see this movie...ive watched the trailer and i got chills from the sheets moving and the things i saw...I heard all the hype and i was deeply interested...I have seen many scary movies and only a few have left me scared even the slightest...So today me and Asma go to watch Paranormal Activity and never in my life have i been so scared. I was frozen the entire movie, i got goosebumps in places i didnt know possible and I was snuggled against Asma the entire time...After hearing all the hype about this movie and one review that declared the movie to be mediocre i decided i would try and lower my expectations, however after waiting for so long my expectations just seemed to boil over...I expected to be scared...I was more than scared watching this movie...In the few horror movies that scared me i would jump or grab the person next to me or some kind of movement...Whenever something scary happened (and it does quite often) I was simply frozen...my heart would stop and i would get the shivers all over my body...i gasped for air and i was TERRIFIED...Im not trying to hype this movie up any more just because i think its a good movie Im simply telling you that i have never been so scared, creeped out, and disturbed in my life. I feel that this movie, much like 'The Blair Witch Project' or 'Cloverfield', is a love or hate kind of movie. However not for the same reasons, 'Cloverfield was an action/thriller/mosnter movie that either caught your full attention or had you bored and sick. 'The Blair Witch Project' did the same...both however are a little far-fetched? This movie isnt far-fetched to me at all, it seems real, feels real, and was the scariest thing i have ever seen. Not even The Exorcist scared me this bad...

I give the overall movie a great recommendation and say that it is defidently worth 8.75 to see at the theatres =)

Beware, it scared the HELL out of me!

I really liked it I just finshed watching it. It starts of pretty slow bu when it gets into it it is SCARY AS HELL!!! MY Boyfriend is still scared and he probably won't sleep all night. But I strongly recomend this movie and that you watch it with someone!!!!

Just watched this movie fell asleep 3 times during the beginning cos my god it's boring. I'd say if you want to watch it start watching when it's about a hour in and you'll really walk away thinking holy shit... LOL I watched it alone and I suggest a friend! LOL but if you can get through 70 mins of pure boredom the last 20 mins are cool.

Just saw Paranormal Activity and it blindsided me with its effectiveness, jolts, sheer terror that I was literally shaking towards the end. To be honest the first couple of scenes didn't impress me and I was thinking great just another overrated The Blair Witch Project but as soon as they put the tripod in their bedroom to film these supposed hauntings while they try to sleep things change from ordinary to truly frightening that will have you grabbing your seat or someones arm in fear and it catapults from there on. I was impressed what they accomplished on such a small budget that puts high budget horror films to shame, hollywood take note! See it in a packed house on a cold fall night or better yet wait for the dvd and watch it with your girlfriend or boyfriend in your own home and turn off all the lights and get ready to be shakened! Folks forget about The Blair Witch Project this is true terror and it is less shaky! I give kudos to the director and the two leads for displaying believable performances and craft, great job! We all should pat ourselves on the back for demanding this gem of a film and putting our voices out there which lead to a wide release and hope that this opens doors for other deserving films waiting for a release and has yet to be seen, so maybe they will finally release In Memorium a film that seems similar to this one. Overall it lives up to most of the hype but go in with low expectations and appreciate for what it is and what it accomplishes. What it accomplishes is how to build suspense and fear and it did one hell of a job which I can't say about most horror films and horror remakes these days. I rate Paranormal Activity a 4 out of 5! Another thing you need to know is that the less you know about this flick the better so stay away from reviews and let you be the judge and see it already! Hope this one makes alot of money because I want a sequel! Chilling but not the scariest horror film ever made but close to it!

I wanna see this YES!

I wanna see this YES!

Kind of dissapointed when I saw this flick. I heard of all the reviews but I just had to go see it for myself. It had it's creepy moments but at the end of the day it left me with wanting more. Definitely not as scary as people are making it out to be. But..... I would definitely not watch this movie alone at my house...